


speak your heart

by ZionPhoenix



Category: The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Ableism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bigotry, Broken Bones, Chapter one is fluff, Choking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Islamophobia, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova are in Love, Kidnapping, M/M, Mentions of the following:, Mutism, Nicky isnt the one doing the kidnapping and stuff, Nicky used to be an arsehole though, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, The other stuff happens in chapter two, Usage of a Slur, Violence, Which can easily be skipped, Writer!Nicky, anxious!Nicky, but it's blink and you miss it, gagging, mute!Joe, poet!Joe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28097739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZionPhoenix/pseuds/ZionPhoenix
Summary: "I'd like to meet you in person.""Me too.""There's something I have to tell you first though. I'm mute."ORThe modern, no powers AU, where Joe is mute.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 26
Kudos: 271





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This "plot"-bunny wouldn't let me go, so here it is.
> 
> I tried to do my best at writing about a mute POC. If I handled anything insensitively or something is outright offensive, please, please let me know, and I will try to fix it appropriately. I did some research about mutism (as a result of a traumatic experience), and am also drawing from experiences of mute people I worked with.
> 
> This first chapter is almost completely pure fluff and Joe and Nicky being Incurable Romantics. It can be read as a stand alone fic, if you only want the fluff.  
> The second chapter is something I wanted to write, but also wanted to separate from this fluffy thing. It deals with ableism, and then both their pasts, including Joe's traumatic experience. More info will be in the chapter note for that, and it will be posted either in a bit, or in 24 hours.
> 
> I'm not sure if the voice thing is something that can actually be done, but I think it's a cool concept.
> 
> As this plays in London, and I am neither British, nor married, I have no idea whether the phrasing is correct in the context of a civil marriage (I think that's what it's called when you don't get married in a church, but at like an office for the city?), or if it's like a solely Church/Catholic thing. 
> 
> I hope I tagged everything necessary, if you feel I forgot something, let me know and I will add it! Also let me know if there's a typo, please.
> 
> Enjoy!

"I'd like to meet you in person." Nicky stares at the screen, reading the message over and over again to make sure he's not imagining this. Slowly, he types out a response, rewriting it over and over to the point it's unlike anything he'd ever write. Sighing, he deletes it, and settles for something simple.

"Me too." The response is immediate.

"There's something I have to tell you first though." Nicky can see the little 'typing' vanish and return, after a few seconds it's gone again, then comes back. Seems like he's not the only one overthinking messages. But now Nicky can't help but worry about what it is he has to tell him, and his mind quickly spirals into very unlikely scenarios until his phone buzzes in his hand.

"I'm mute." That definetely wasn't on his list.

"Okay. Any specifics I need to know beforehand? What is your preferred mode of communication for face-to-face?" As soon as he sends the message he worries that he has just made a serious mistake, offending him by asking insensitive or inappropriate questions, coming off as belittling or condenscending….

"I usually use an app that reads out what I type. If someone knows BSL, I use that. Sometimes I write down what I want to say by hand." A sigh of relief escapes his mouth unbidden.

"Got it. Did you have a place and time in mind?"

* * *

And so, two weeks later, Nicky is on his way to a small, cozy café a few blocks from his apartment. He has his hands stuffed into his pockets to keep them from shaking from his nerves, and reminisces about the last two weeks. Neither of them had time to meet up at an earlier date, or the time to chat more than they already did, so he was left with his nervous anticipation. He's so lost in thought, he almost walks past the café, but realises just in time to not look like an idiot.

Inside he is greeted with the familiar, cozy atmosphere, and he can feel his shoulders relax a fraction. There aren't many customers, so Nicky quickly spots him. He feels himself smile at the sight, and walks over to slide into the seat opposite him.

"Hi." Joe still looks a little shocked at seeing him in person, so he follows up with an awkwardly and slowly signed "nice to finally meet you", but it seems like he makes a mistake somewhere in the sentence when Joe laughs a little, and Nicky might be in love already. "You have a beautiful laugh." He says, and Joe looks back up at him with a soft smile.

"Thank you." He signs.

"So, uhm, I did use the two weeks to learn a little BSL, but obviously I won't be able to follow a conversation yet, so how do you want to do this? I always carry around a notebook, so…" He slowly trails off, not knowing how to properly phrase it, and looks at Joe, who is already typing away on his phone.

"I'd rather use the app than to write by hand right now." Nicky nods. "Plus, I would like to hear your beatiful voice and that sexy accent." He blushes at the last comment, and ducks his head a little, hearing another soft laugh from Joe at his obvious reaction. Nicky is falling hard and fast. When he looks back up, Joe winks at him, and Nicky fights the urge to bury his face in his hands.

Instead he asks, "have you already ordered?"

"No, I had a look at the menu, but wanted to wait for you." And while that is usually just the polite thing to do, it melts Nicky's heart. Yup, he's absolutely gone for this man.

"Thanks. Let me just take a look then." Joe smiles and nods, and Nicky quickly scans the drinks menu. A waitress comes over once he sets it down, and they order their coffees.

"I like the voice. It suits you." He says after she leaves.

"Thank you. It's actually custom made, and really close to my actual voice."

"Really? That's amazing, I didn't know something like this was possible! How did they do it?"

"I'm not exactly sure how, but they kind off measured I think…." Joe frowns at his phone, shakes his head a little, and then probably rewrites what he was going to say.

"I think they measured the frequencies of the noises I can make, like humming, and then extrapolated from there. Then they made some tweaks based on my description, and here we are."

"Like I said, that's amazing. If you don't mind me asking, feel free to ignore the question or to tell me to back off, but, uh, how long have you been mute? Based on what you said it wasn't from birth, right?" Joe looks at him with such intensity, Nicky fears he's said the wrong thing.

"It's fine, don't worry." There's a little pause as he looks at his phone, contemplating, then he starts writing, and looks at Nicky again once he's done. "It's been about 10 years now, and it's a result of trauma. At first I was hopeful to regain my voice once my vocal chords had healed, but as the years went by, and nothing changed even though I was getting better and better mentally…. I don't mind so much now, it's become part of who I am, and I'm not ashamed of it. If I never get my voice back, then so be it."

Nicky takes a sip of his coffee the waitress has brought while Joe was typing, and nods. Joe worries his bottom lip with his teeth, then goes on.

"And I need to say this before we go any further, because it's important that you know. Many of my exes from the last 10 years have had some kind of "(white) saviour" complex, thinking that our relationship would be the magical cure that would give me my voice back." Joe scoffs. "Over the years I have spoken a little over a handful of words. They heard me say one word and thought that they did it. Then they got frustrated when I didn't start speaking more after that. Like I said, they thought they could cure me, but obviously if I didn't get "better" while with them, then I didn't love them enough. Or that I thought their love wasn't good enough for me. Needless to say, they all got dumped pretty quickly after that."

Nicky is silent for a few moments, processing what Joe just told him.

"What arseholes. I'm sorry they did that to you. While I can't promise that I won't say something stupid or won't step on your toes, and I hope you tell me when I do, so I can be better, I do not think that you need "curing" unless you say so, and you don't." Joe holds his gaze for a few seconds.

"Thank you. I think it also helps that we met online. All the others I met in person when going out or something, so they only ever met me as a mute, and maybe that's part of the reason why they went out with me. They saw someone with a disadvantage, someone who needed saving, and used it to feed their superiority complex."

"Seriously, what douchebags. I don't know how people can act like that." Joe smiles, before continuing.

"You're the only one who got to know me before I showed you this part of me. So maybe that makes the difference, I don't know. What I do know though, is that so far you have been very considerate and thoughtful about it, and I appreciate that. You are also one of the few people who look at me and not my phone while I speak." Relief washes through him at hearing that he hasn't messed it up, further easing his nerves. "Usually only my friends and family do that."

"Wait, people actually look at your phone instead?" Nicky asks belatedly, confused.

"Yes. A lot of people even try to read what I'm typing before I say it, which is even more annoying."

"Why? I mean, why would someone try? I wouldn't want to look inside someone's head while they're thinking about what to say."

He smiles softly, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"I don't know, Nicky." And wow, that was the first time he said his name, and damn him if it didn't sound good in his voice. For a brief moment he thinks about what it would sound like in Joe's actual voice, but he quickly discards it. "They mostly don't get it, and they don't care. I've gotten used to it by now."

"But you shouldn't have to get used to it. People should be more considerate."

"You're too kind for this world, Nicky. But enough about all that for now, alright? Tell me, what book are you carrying around with you right now?"

* * *

The first time Nicky hears Joe's real voice is half a year later, when they flop back onto the matress, panting heavily. They lie down on their sides, facing each other, naked limbs intertwined, just basking in the other's presence. Joe has his hand on Nicky's face, gently stroking his thumb across his cheek. Nicky can see his mouth moving and wants to tell him that he doesn't need to try, doesn't have to do this, when it happens.

"Nicolò." It's just barely above a whisper, but he can still hear it, and as soon as he does he can feel the tears. Joe wipes them away as they fall, as Nicky just looks at him, until he pulls him close and buries his face in Joe's chest. Joe shushes him softly, and Nicky can feel it underneath his cheek. It's something they discovered soon into their relationship, that Nicky likes to put his hand or ear on Joe's chest to feel the sounds he makes, rather than hear them. His laugh is his favourite.

Once the tears have subsided, Nicky lifts his head and stares at Joe, whose eyes are glinting as well. He surges up to kiss him, steals the groan right from his mouth. When he pulls back, he rests their foreheads together, eyes open.

"I love you." The words come easily, after he spent the last few months saying it with his actions, the way he usually does, and he knows that this is the right, the perfect moment to say it. Now it's Joe's turn to cry, and Nicky holds him close until Joe wrenches his hands free from between their bodies.

"I love you, too." He signs.

* * *

It takes Nicky until at least the 5th time to not immediately start crying upon hearing Joe speak.

On average, Joe speaks about 1-2 words per year. Whenever it happens, Nicky showers him with kisses until he is giggling, the sound rumbling his in chest, and spilling out of his mouth like music.

Sometimes, and then more often as the years go by, they spend entire days without speaking. They perfect the art of communicating with glances, movements, actions, touches. Those nights they spend reaquanting themselves with the other's body, drawing every possible sound, groan, moan, gasp, shout from them.

Eventually, they get an email from the company that programmed his voice, saying that the technology is now even more advanced, and if he wants, they can try again, to perfect Joe's voice. They both cry when they hear a sample, sounding exactly like Joe. (They get Nicky's voice added as well, to prank people.)

* * *

Joe shows Nicky his poetry, written all throughout his notebook, and his face shines brightly when he reads it to him. When he's unsure if a line works the way he wants it to, he makes extra notes on emphasis and intonation and then Nicky reads it for him. His published poetry collection sells out quickly and has to go into a second printing.

Nicky overflows with ideas for his stories after he meets Joe, he writes and writes and Joe reads everything he writes and gives him the most honest feedback. Once Joe found the courage to ask Nicky to read something to him, most evenings are spent with Nicky reading to him, Joe's head resting on his chest, and he listens to him, half by hearing, half by feeling the movements in his chest, lulling him to sleep. Nicky's first fantasy novel becomes a bestseller.

* * *

With every other person he gets annoyed when they try to write a note back, whenever he uses pen and paper to communicate instead of his phone. It takes up precious space in his notebook he could use for himself, and just because he can't talk, doesn't mean they shouldn't. With Nicky he loves this way of communicating. They both carry notebooks with them almost all the time, and once Nicky confesses he would choose writing as his preferred mode of communication with anyone, if he could. It's easier to think about what he wants to say it and how, when he has to write it down, he says, because people usually get frustrated when he takes his time with answering. "I don't like saying something I don't fully mean, you know?" With Joe, he can choose and Joe gets a fuzzy feeling whenever he reads back on some of their conversations, each carefully labelled with a date, time and place. Some of them are only his side, Nicky's side written in his own notebook, and he delights in the challenge of remembering exactly how the rest of the conversation has gone.

* * *

They get married after five years, and decide to exchange their vows via Joe's text-to-speech app, putting in the text earlier in the day, so they can stare into each other's eyes for the whole thing. Also because it's an important part in Joe's, and therefore Nicky's, life and they wanted to incorporate it into of the most important days of their life together.

"Do you, Yusuf al-Kaysani, take Nicolò di Genova as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Nicky doesn't look down at Joe's hand as he signs his answer, instead he's so lost in his eyes he almost misses it when Joe actually says "I do." along with his sign. When it finally registers, Nicky is not ashamed to admit that he immediately starts bawling, just like he did all those years ago. Joe grins at him, pride and tears making his eyes shine. Oh, how Nicky loves this man. Trembling, they finish the ceremony, and when they are finally allowed to kiss, Nicky pulls him in desperately, putting all the love he has for his husband (his husband!) into it. Their lips are wet with tears, and maybe even snot, who knows, but it's perfect, and Joe's perfect, and Nicky doesn't want this moment to ever end.


	2. your heart is strong enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as promised, here is the second chapter.  
> I have done my best to handle these topics with the care, sensitivity and respect they deserve. If I messed up at any point, please tell me so I can fix my mistakes and do better! 
> 
> Please heed the tags for this.  
> The ableism is in the first scene, until the long paragraph break ("When they are back home") if you want to skip it completely. If you only want/need to skip the part with the insults, skip everything between *. One usage of a slur occurs in the marked part, and the slur will be partially censored with #. There will be a short summary of this scene in the end notes.  
> The mention of alcoholism is between the **. Nothing graphic.  
> The mention of kidnapping, islamophobia, broken bones, violence, gagging and choking happens between the ***. Nothing is described graphically. I don't think I can summarise it further, so there won't be an end note for that part. This is the traumatic experience causing Joe's mutism, and he talks about it in a kind of detached way, giving necessary facts to understand the situation. The only thing that's touched upon a bit more is the islamophobia in terms of what these people said to him.
> 
> If there's something I missed to tag or warn for, please let me know and I will fix it!

Because Joe's exes are arseholes who would rather make jokes about his mutism than to defend him, he is surprised when Nicky steps up to tear the guy a new one. He has just left to get some ingredients they forgot for their planned dinner, and because it's a nice and warm evening he left his jacket at home, and with it his notebook. Which wouldn't be a problem, if he hadn't forgotten his phone as well. 

*Which is why he is currently stuck at the supermarket, trying to get one of the employees to understand what exactly he is looking for, when another customer starts to loudly complain about the idiot who was too stupid to just ask his question like a normal person and thus holding up everyone else who needed help. Joe tries his best to ignore him, swallowing down his frustration at the entire situation.

"Joe." He looks up to see Nicky walking towards him, holding his phone. "You forgot your phone, tesoro." Joe thanks him with a quick sign and a small smile, but Nicky knows him well enough to see right through it. "Everything alright here?" He asks, as he wraps his arm around Joe's waist.

He desperately wants to nod, and just get on with it, when the man sidles up to them. "No, this idiot is holding everyone up with his gesturing. How is he allowed out alone when he's too stupid to talk like a normal person?"

Joe ducks his head, hiding the tears welling up in his eyes, and clutches his phone tightly. "You will apologise to him, right now." He looks up slightly, just enough to see the rage on Nicky's face, before turning his head away again.

"I will when he tells me to himself, the r#t#rd." Joe feels Nicky's grip tighten on his waist.

*"I will not ask again, sir. Apologise to him now, or I will call the police for discrimination and public harassment. I'm sure she will back me up in this, as it seems you have been spewing bigotry since before I got here." Nicky gestures to the employee, who has been watching the whole thing, and is nodding now. Joe can basically hear the grind of the man's teeth.

"I'm sorry." He spits out, and Joe nods, desperately wishing for this whole ordeal to be over and done with, so he accepts the, definitely not sincere, apology.

"Do you know, sir, I feel sorry for you. For having been taught to hate those who are different to us, instead of loving them. Maybe this will be a lesson for you, that you are insulting real people, with real lives when you spout ableist bullshit, and that we should treat everyone with compassion instead of contempt. I pray you will realise your mistakes and will work to be a better person. Have a nice evening."

Out of the corner of his eye, Joe sees the man opening and then closing his mouth again, then he turns a bright red and around, quickly walking away. Nicky turns to face Joe and he gently wipes away the tears. "You alright?" Joe answers with a shrug, and Nicky seems to understand, presses a quick kiss to his forehead. "What were you looking for earlier?" He tells him, and Nicky finishes their shopping, not once letting go of Joe's hand. It helps ground him, as he retreats into his head in order not to break down in the middle of the store. He can do that at home.

When they are back home, Joe pulls Nicky close, and cries into his shoulder. Nicky holds him tight against his chest and ignores the way his heart is breaking. This is about Joe's hurt, not his. He rubs circles across his back, and whispers sweet nothings into his ear, until Joe's breathing evens out a bit.

"Hayati, I need to put the groceries away before they go bad. You can hold onto my back if you don't want to let go yet, okay?" Joe nods slightly, and lets Nicky turn around, then plasters himself to his back like a koala, following him around the kitchen, as he puts away the food and makes tea for them. He leads Joe to the living room, and they sit down, Joe in Nicky's lap, burying his face in his shoulder again. Nicky resumes the circles he started earlier. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Joe shakes his head, then pulls back enough to sign. "In a bit. Just want to be held right now." Nicky nods, and draws him back into his arms.

"Of course. Anything you need, love."

They sit in comfortable silence for some time, and when Joe picks up their mugs after rearranging himself to sit sideways, their tea has cooled to lukewarm. Nicky sips his tea and waits. Joe finishes his own tea, before unlocking his phone. He starts to type, and Nicky looks at his face instead, even though Joe has told him that he didn't mind too much if it was him looking at his phone. But when he was obviously done typing, and didn't start to speak, Nicky looks down again, and reads what Joe wrote.

"Thank you, for coming to bring my phone, and for defending me. I'm not used to my boyfriends doing that for me, and I feel angry that I didn't have the chance to do it myself. Not really angry at you, mostly at me. I don't want you to think I'm weak, and unable to say something when douchebags like him come along. I know you don't, but you also know how irrational fear and anger can be. I'm grateful for having you in my life, and for you being there with me, but at the same time I wish you wouldn't have seen that. That you would never have to hear what other people say about me, or how they treat me, or how awkward some interactions can be. I want to apologise, but I also know that you wouldn't let me, tell me that there is nothing to apologise for. I know that, but I still feel like I have to. Again, thank you. I love you."

Nicky quickly dries his eyes. "You want me to talk or type?"

"Talk, please. I need to hear your voice."

"Alright. I might need a minute though."

"That's okay."

Nicky puts his cup down on the coffee table, and rests his head on Joe's shoulder.

"I love you, too. I cannot say I can imagine how you feel right now, because I can't. I've been in similar situations before, on both sides actually, but when I was the one being insulted I was always able to defend myself. I don't know how it feels to be in your place, but I do know that you are not weak. You are the strongest person I've ever met, Joe, and I know that you did your best in the given situation. I know that had you had your phone with you, you probably would've torn him apart with your words. I wish you would never have to hear people say ignorant shit, but I'd rather be at your side than for you to have to endure it alone. I'm with you, my love, whatever you go through, be it good or bad, I'll be by your side. My heart breaks for the pain you go through, because I cannot take it away."

Joe turns and kisses him on the forehead, then picks up his phone again.

"You may not be able to take it away completely, but you being here with and for me helps me tremendously with handling it." Nicky returns the forehead kiss, lingering just for a few seconds before pulling away again. "I'm curious. You said you've been on both sides. What exactly does that mean?"

Nicky sighs. "I wasn't always the person I am now. You say I'm kind, thoughtful, willing to learn and be better. I wasn't always like that. I used to be like the man in the supermarket. Ignorant, bigoted, many other shameful things. Had we met 10, 12 years earlier, I would have put you through the same thing."

"12 years ago I wasn't mute yet."

"I know. And it wouldn't have mattered. I would have insulted you for other things. Your skin, your faith. Now, I feel nauseous just thinking about it."

"What changed?"

"I realised how wrong everything I'd been taught was. I was out with friends, back when I was still in Italy, and on our way home, they harassed a young woman, I think she was wearing a hijab. I don't exactly remember what did it, I was a bit tipsy, but that night I realised that those were real people with real lives we were insulting, and that our actions had an impact on their life. I spiralled after that.

**"Fled Italy and came to England, started smoking and drinking, trying to drown out the shame I felt, still feel. I went from being horrible to miserable and horrible, because I wasn't actually trying to learn and be better, still had everything ingrained in my mind. Three years later, I woke up in the hospital after having my stomach pumped and I knew I needed to change something.

**"And so I went to school, educated myself on other religions, cultures, everything I was ever taught was bad because it was different. I got sober, made some friends, messed shit up with them, learnt from it, and became better. It was hard. It would've been so easy to just fall back into the familarity of ignorance, but when I thought of the horrible things I did and said to other people, I couldn't. I didn't want to be that person anymore, and after everything I didn't deserve to have it easy.

"Sometimes I feel guilty, thinking that I don't deserve this, don't deserve you and your love. Why should you love me, when I would have beaten you up had we met 15 years ago?" Joe's breath hitches noticeably. "Then I remind myself that I am not that person anymore. Had we met 15 years ago, you wouldn't have fallen in love with me, but you did now, because I changed and am a better person. Because of you, I want to be even better, so I don't have to doubt that I'm worthy of your love."

He pauses, takes some deep, shuddering breaths to calm his racing heart.

"Oh Nicolò." Joe says.

"When I heard the man talking earlier, I almost punched him in the throat, to show him how funny it is when someone can't speak. Knowing why these people think like that, it makes me angry, makes me want to lash out. But I know that violence wouldn't help anyone, and would only reinforce whatever prejudice they have. I didn't want to be reminded of how ruthless I used to be. And I didn't want you to see me like that. You deserve to know, but I don't want you to witness what I am capable of."

They're silent for a long time after that, just holding each other as they're both lost in their thoughts.

Nicky doesn't know how much time passes until Joe leans back again.

"Thank you for telling me." He signs. "I admit, I never thought you could be like that, but I guess that just shows how far you've come. You told me earlier that I'm the strongest person you know, and I will now tell you that _you_ are the strongest person _I_ know. For breaking free from what you've been taught, turning your life around and away from that. You deserve love, Nicky, just as much as the next person."

"I love you, Joe. I love you so much, sometimes I don't know what to do with it, or how to tell you just how much."

"Don't worry, I know, because I love you just as much."

They meet in the middle for a kiss wet with tears, but they're smiling into it.

"I want to ask you something. Feel free to tell me to fuck off." He starts when they separate. "Your breath hitched when I talked about what I would have done 15 years ago. You almost flinched. Did someone beat you? Because of your skin?" He doesn't want to put Joe through more than he already went through today, but he wants to know how badly Joe was hurt for things he can't control. It's up to him how much he tells him. Joe nods, and unlocks his phone again.

***"I went to the US for college. One night I was walking home from campus, when someone knocked me out. I woke up gagged and bound to a chair." Nicky's heart breaks all over again, but he doesn't make a sound, and keeps their eye contact. "They accused me of being a terrorist, wanted to know if I was planning on blowing myself up on campus. They beat me up pretty bad, broke my nose and my wrist. One guy choked me until I blacked out, and when I came to I couldn't talk anymore, had trouble breathing. Someone found me not long after. I was in the hospital for a while, covered in bruises, and with damaged vocal chords. I think there was something with my lung as well, but I'm not sure. Once I was released I got on the next plane, leaving behind everything I couldn't fit into my two suitcases. And the rest is history, as they say."

***Nicky wants to cry again, but it seems that he has exhausted them all already.

"Oh, Yusuf, my love. I'm sorry you had to go through that, I don't know that else to say."

"You don't need to say anything, ya amar. Knowing you are here is enough. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"No, no, don't apologise. If you didn't want to tell me I would've accepted that. You don't have to explain your trauma to me, or anyone. You don't owe anyone an explanation you don't want to give. Still, thank you for trusting me with this. I can't put into words how much that means to me."

They fall quiet again for a few minutes, until they both sigh heavily at the same time, causing them to burst into giggles. Nicky nuzzles their noses together.

"I'm exhausted, and I'm sure you are, too. Let's go to bed." Joe nods, and Nicky adjust his grip on him, before standing up. Joe yelps and quickly tightens his legs around Nicky's hips and winds his arms around his broad shoulders, allowing him to carry him into the bedroom. They get ready together in silence, their conversation about plans for the next day being signed instead of spoken, and once they're in bed, they take a few minutes to just look at each other. Joe leans in for a goodnight kiss, and brushes a few strands of hair out of Nicky's eyes when they part.

"I love you." Whether Joe says or signs it, as he did now, these words never fail to make Nicky smile.

"I love you, too." They share one last kiss, before Nicky turns around, pulling Joe's arm over his waist and across his chest, threading their fingers together. They fall asleep quickly, drained from the last few hours as they are, but they do so with a smile on their lips, and the same thought floating through their minds, as if they're the same soul split into two bodies. They'll be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of the first scene:  
> Joe is at the store without his phone or notebook (and is thus limited in his communication) and another customer insults him because he uses gestures to ask an employee something. Nicky comes to bring him his phone, and intervenes. The man calls Joe an ableist slur, and Nicky deescalates the situation. Joe dissociates/detaches himself at the end to keep himself from breaking down.
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> As always, kudos and comments are highly appreciated and make my day.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Kudos and comments are highly appreciated, and always make my day.


End file.
